


Delicately Strong

by cjjade



Series: Roswell New Mexico Week 2019 [3]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Isobel and Alex Friendship, Liz Ortecho mentioned, M/M, Michael and Liz friendship, Protective Maria
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-26
Updated: 2019-07-26
Packaged: 2020-07-20 01:21:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19983709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cjjade/pseuds/cjjade
Summary: Day 4 of Roswell New Mexico Week 2019Michael and Max are Isobel's brothers, even if they are idiots.





	Delicately Strong

**Author Notes:** Thank You your words have really helped keep me going. I kind of feel I am going the wrong direction with my prompts lol. If you haven't read Life or Drunken Bonding you probably should. Not Beta Read!

 **Pairing:** Michael/Alex; Max/Liz; Isobel/Maria

 **Summary:** Day 4; Michael and Max are Isobel's brothers, even if they are idiots.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own anything Roswell: New Mexico or its characters.

 **Rate:** Teen

 **Category:** Fluff

 **Timeframe:** End of Season One

 **Prompt:** Not Just Sugar and Spice

#  Delicately Strong

Isobel Evans was not pleased, and no one liked it when she was not pleased. Max learned that when he gave her a frog for her birthday when they were twelve. It hopped out of his hand to her cake to her face, her dress got ruined and she cried for an hour. She then made his life miserable for the next week. Michael learned it fast too. It was just simpler and less of a hassle to give Isobel what she wanted. Honestly it wasn’t usually that much of a hassle. They would come to her stupid events make an appearance and she was happy. In return she didn’t try to set them up or clean up their "disgusting" life.

After he sobered up, which involved ten hours of sleep then an hour of dealing with Alex who was giving him the silent treatment. He sucked it up and went shopping. Alex was excited about seeing Michael in something that wasn’t stained by grease or was worn with holes in them. Michael suffered through it when all he wanted to do was crawl back into Alex’s bed and sleep until tomorrow. He looked good. But Isobel’s smile was forced when they arrived ten minutes before six. Max shrugged when Alex walked in giving him a look. 

Max was worried. The entire dinner was perfect. Ann and Arturo spent the entire evening talking about how much had changed in Roswell, then went on to music. Michael soon joined the conversation; Ann was interested to hear Alex could play multiple instruments. Isobel listened as Alex went on about the Russian ballet, and the concert halls he had visited around the globe. The meal was serviced on time, each course was perfect. The desert was fantastic, and the drinks after just right.

It was literally the perfect dinner, that ended on Max’s patio. Ann was looking at some constellation, Michael was polite as he told her about it. Soon Max and Alex joined, it was a perfect October evening with just the right amount of chill in the air. Max and Alex walked Ann to her vehicle, as Michael did as Ann requested and checked on Isobel. Liz was talking to her, and she had on that smile that Michael knew too well. He knew it wasn’t fooling Liz for a second. Soon Alex was back insisting he and Michael clean up. Max and Michael watched Alex walk her out, didn’t miss the whispering. Then the night was over.

Arturo made sure Max knew in no certain terms Liz was leaving with him. Arturo had heard about her Wednesday night adventure, and instead of blaming Michael he blamed Max. To Michael he spent all night talking to about cars, music, and what locations were best when visiting South America. Max on the other hand he was polite to, like overly polite to the point you knew he was being polite. Alex cleaned up everything ordering Michael around as he did so. Max tried not to smirk when he stopped arguing once Alex gave him a certain look, it was definably he military stare. Now a week later they knew something was up. 

“Maybe your boyfriend and your sister are friends,” Kyle groaned rubbing his eyes, he didn’t know why he let Liz talk him into this. Well he knew why, the same reason he wore pink to the Sweethearts Dance their junior year. All she had to do was smile at him and he crumbled. “You and Liz are friends.”

“No. They. Are. Not!,” Max stated dramatically that had Kyle giving him a "sure" look.

“Do you have a problem with me and Liz being friends,” Michael asked offended by Max’s tone.

“Both times you have hung out bad things have happened,” Max reminded him.

“Yesterday was not our fault,” Michael defended watching Kyle looked confused, and wondering if that was why she worked from home today. “Her dad asked Alex if I would look at his truck real quick, I came by…”

“And drank an entire bottle of tequila,” Max snapped.

“AND after we fixed the engine Arturo asked if I wanted to stay for dinner,” Michael tried to continued but stopped at Kyle’s face.

“Arturo,” Kyle repeated slowly.

“Oh yes,” Max tells him slapping Michael very hard on the shoulder that their table wobbled. “He insists Michael call him Arturo.”

“We are getting way off topic,” Michael signs as Kyle gives a matching offended face. “We are here about Isobel, not your insecure fueled jealousy over your girlfriend’s dad liking me more.”

Kyle was pretty sure that at some point he had hit his head and was now in some weird alternate universe that made no sense. If a year ago you would have told him he would sitting at the Wild Pony having a beer, he would have asked you how hard you hit your head. Then if you included the fact he’d be at a table with Michael Guerin and Max Evans, he wouldn’t stopped laughing wondering if he hit his. But here he was a week away from Halloween sitting across from them wondering if something was wrong with their sister. 

Kyle did have to admit Isobel wasn’t herself lately. When she came in for her checkup since he still worried about the serum, she seemed down. She didn’t comment on his clothing, especially the fact he was wearing brown socks. She hated brown socks especially with black shoes. He did it on purpose of course, it put her at ease during exams if she could insult him. Nothing came back wrong, she just seemed off. He assumed the dinner went bad, but then Alex went on about how normal the entire night had been. As he watched them bicker while Maria roll her eyes, he began to wonder about things outside alien business. Which judging by their ideas they had never consider.

“Have you two considered that maybe she’s lonely,” Kyle offered watching them stop arguing then turn to him looking like he was the alien. “You both are in healthy happy committed relationships. You both clearly are forming stable friend base relationships with each other’s significant other. Ann and Arturo approve…”

“So, she’s trying to steal her brother’s boyfriend,” Max interrupted while laughing like he was crazy. 

“My extremely gay never been into women even as an experiment, boyfriend,” Michael corrected which made Max laugh even more.

“No, you idiots,” Kyle snapped annoyed they didn’t let him finish. “She’s trying to include herself in your life, she probably doesn't know where she fits.” 

“Kyle, Isobel is always extremely included in our lives,” Max argued taking a drink of his beer.

“When,” Maria asked joining the conversation finally, hands on her hips.

Maria was fed up. She was tired of hearing Isobel cry over her brothers because she didn’t want to bother them. Isobel was one of the strongest people she knew, outside her own mother and Liz. Isobel had to deal with a lot. Maria of course didn't know the full truth. Isobel had told people a form of the truth. Noah had been abusing her, Ann cried with her. Liz held her hand when she couldn’t sleep, then called Alex when they thought they saw someone. They of course knew it wasn’t Noah, but Isobel was just too freaked out. Isobel Evan hated asking for help. The day she moved out of that house, she started to do better. 

Then as luck would have it her new place was robbed by a group of teenagers. She came home to smashed windows and the door broken. Max was right there along with Michael. She stayed with Max until she got the windows and door fixed. But it was Alex who offered to remain with her until the alarm system could be put in. It was Alex who stayed up all night watching stupid old movies bingeing on cheesecake and pizza because she was scared to close her eyes. It was Liz who put together that party to get her mind off the robbery, and Isobel had been so excited. She didn't even take it over, and they were late. She barely even got a photo with them before they started arguing to the point Max left. 

Isobel Evans was a strong person, but she wasn't made of stone. All she wanted was her brothers but she didn't know how to tell them. Maria had held her while she cried after the party. She never felt so alone. Alex at least tried but every time he tried to include her it was like it fell on to deaf ears. Everyone knew they didn't do it on purpose. Isobel was used to being their person. She brought them lunches, she made sure Michael didn't go too far, she forced Max out so he wouldn't become a shut in. She check up on them when they didn't call for days, which saved Michael's life a few times. Now they had Liz and Alex for that. It crushed her to see Michael and Liz so connected. That was like the final nail in the coffin, she had been completely replaced. 

“She makes sure she’s in every aspect of our life,” Michael told them grumpily, because he wished she wasn't at time.

“So she’s included when she makes the effort,” Kyle says to Maria who nods.

“What the hell does that mean,” Michael hissed not liking his tone or words.

“It means that when someone broke into her house Alex was the one who stayed with her,” Maria reminded them looking at her Max sharply, then at Michael. “When she got promoted it was Liz who planned the celebration dinner that by the way you both were late for...and then Max left forty minutes later because you toddlers can't play nice for like two hours.”

“Didn’t Alex send flowers and cupcakes to her office,” Kyle asked already knowing the answer, but Maria was on a roll. And he liked to see them squirm. 

“With balloons,” Maria confirmed grabbing the glasses from the table. “He also spent an entire morning last week building her new desk that someone else was supposes to put together six weeks ago.”

"Oh but she's included," Kyle smirked downing the last of his beer before walking off.

Maria walked towards the bar, Michael felt downright sick. He had told her he would build that desk, he was waiting for her to tell him when to come over. That was how it had worked in the past. She tells him she had something for him to do, she then told him when and he did it. Now thinking about it he knew that sounds messed up. He also knows that maybe Maria and Kyle were right, he had always left their relationship up to her. She called, she text, she told him...he had always waited for her. It never accrued to him that she had been waiting for him. 

Max let his head fall down, no wonder Liz kept asking him if he spoke to Isobel today. She would give him this look, and he always meant to call. He knew they had lunch every few weeks. He did not know that Alex and her were such good friends. But Alex was good at keeping secrets. He confided in Alex quite a bit. Liz didn't trust the law, and Michael was he was Michael. Michael thought the law was an outline and his job was to find the loophole. Why didn't he feel this, she can always feel him.

"So Maria," Michael started placing his pint glass down, waiting until she turned. "How long have you been sleeping with our sister?"

"Excuse me," Maria gasped so floored she almost dropped the bottles in her hands.

"It's funny, she always said she'd never go after my sloppy seconds," Michael shrugged then yelped as something hit him from behind very hard.

" Michael Guerin you will not take your anger out on her," Isobel yelled at him then smacked him again before looking at Max who was still at the table. "What were you just going to let him insult your girlfriend best friend."

Isobel didn't like fighting with people, she really didn't. So her fight with Maria last night left a sour taste in her mouth all day. Alex knew they were dating, found out a month ago. He was thrilled for them, but Isobel didn't know what to do. She didn't care much what people thought but Michael and Max she did. She also wanted Maria to know the truth but Alex said she needed to work up to that. But Maria wanted to go public, she was tired of pretending. But it brought back memories, memories of Rosa. 

She let Maria know the PG rated version of that horrific tale. That she had been sneaking around with Rosa, but then the accident happen. Maria was there for her, Maria who didn't know that Rosa was alive and somewhere in the world hiding. So when she pulled up seeing Max and Michael's vehicles she was happy, she had been so distant from them. She smiled at Kyle who started laughing. She found it weird but Kyle Valenti wasn't always the sanest human in the town. 

"Isobel," Michael stuttered then stopped when she put her finger up.

"My relationship with anyone is none of your damn business," Isobel told him as Maria smiled at him sweetly.

"She started it," Michael mumbled, Isobel and Maria giving him a "really" look as she came to stand next to Isobel. "She and Valenti insulted us repeatedly, then insisted we were abandoning you and causing your depression."

"What," Isobel whispered taken back as Max joined them but at a safe distance, she looked at Maria shocked.

"I was trying to help babe," Maria swore coming closer to her. "I hate seeing you hurting."

"Sweet pea I wasn't upset over them, they couldn't survive without me. Thankfully I got help now," Isobel told her taking Maria face in her hands leaning in to give her a small kiss. "I was upset because I...I don't know if I am good for you."

"We have been over this," Maria assured leaning forward for one more kiss, smiling at how uncomfortable Michael looked. "And next time you insult me Guerin you are banned...for a week."

"oh darling, you are just so adorable," Isobel laughed kissing her head, then moved towards them. "But let me handle my brothers' punishment."

"Handle," Michael snipped.

"Punishment," Max questioned at the same time as Michael.

Isobel learned young that her brothers were idiots. They would do stupid things like climbing a tree and trying to jump out of it to see if he could fly. Without her they would have died aa long time again, they needed her. But she did need them too. And okay she was slightly upset that she wasn't the only person in the lives anymore, she wouldn't lie about that. As much as she hated fighting was about as strong as her jealous bone. But that quickly faded when she realized how much smarter Alex was then her brothers. Like his way of thinking rivaled hers, in Alex Manes she found something better than a brother, she found an ally. If he weren't gay she'd probably be married to him.

Liz she could handle, especially when she realized Liz ad Michael have a lot in common. This would be useful in the future and oh boy was it ever useful. Listening to Maria tell her about their drunken night had her laughing. She was going to make them pay for not wanting to go to one of her parties. But then seeing them all together at the dinner but no Maria broke her heart. She wanted Maria there. 

This thing with Maria started out as them having fun, but slowly they grew on each other. For the first time in her life she left strong. Hanging with Alex made her feel like she had a real friend. He knew her secrets, but he wasn't her brother. So she understood why Liz and Michael were so drawn to each other. Everyone needed someone, even people like her. Getting a call last night from Alex made her night. Apparently Arturo liked Michael, and the four of them spent the night playing musical trivial pursuit. Liz and Michael last--bad. She really wanted to see them drunk together because apparently it's the best. 

"You two will be attending the Mayor's banquet in two weeks," Isobel told them getting out her phone, holding her hand up. "This is not up for discussion Michael, you insult my girlfriend you pay the price. And Max you are being honored, lucky for you Liz and I RSVP you weeks ago."

"I don't own a tux," Michael snapped at her as she waited for someone to answer, she growled when she rolled her eyes at him.

" Alex I worked my magic, Michael just agreed to be your date for the banquet," Isobel smirked watching Michael face drop. He looked like he just got told he had to go to a funeral. " I told him we would take him out this weekend for a tux...that sounds perfect... I'll let Max know."

"Let Max know what," Max repeated not liking the sound of this.

"The six of us are going to Albuquerque this weekend," Isobel stated smiling as Maria giggled excitedly, Michael shook his head no. "It's insulting to be seen in the same dress twice...Max you will wear your dress uniform. I'll need you to try it on and send me a photo before we leave that way Liz can find a color appropriate dress."

"Why doesn't Alex," Max mumbled in a tone like he was ten years old again, then his head snapped up when her phone went off. "You are kidding me!"

"Nope," Isobel replied with an evil smile waving her phone. "You are lucky Michael...so please don't ruin it. Oh and be ready to leave at 10am, that way we get there just in time for early check in."

" I work this weekend," Michael told her as her phone started to go off again.

"You should probably fix," Isobel told him ignoring his grunt as she answered her phone.

Michael was going to kill Alex when he got home. He gave Maria a glare who kind of looked overwhelmed, he was sure she had never seen Isobel in sister mode. He did feel extremely bad for his comment. He just was used to not caring what people thought of him, except Isobel. Maria smiled when he mumbled an apology to her. He could hear Isobel yell, "you are still going" from across the room. He nodded defeated paid his tab and headed home where Alex was waiting. He was going to talk to Alex about ending their no sex promise but right now he was going to make him pay a little longer. Let him suffer because he knew for a fact he made a tux look good. 

Max walked outside, he had successfully skipped the banquet every year after his first year as a deputy. But Michael proved once again he couldn't keep that mouth of his shut. He knew how Michael could be, his bark could be worse than his bite most days. But why did Liz have to ally herself on this. He knew why, she liked Isobel and this meant a lot. Isobel entire future rode on this night being a huge success. If she did this, she would definably be in the running when her boss left next year. The last four banquets have been major disasters, some say it's cursed since the old event planned died right after five years ago.

Last year the cater under cooked the pork option, over cooked the steak, and the vegetarian meal wasn't vegetarian. The year before that a fire started in the lobby and the sprinklers came on ruining everything. And before that the former mayor's boyfriend showed up and made a scandalous scene. Of course it was denied but everyone in town knew the truth. And the year that began the bad luck, was horrid bad. The power went out three times, all beverages got delivered to the wrong town, the first speaker threw up everywhere so the entire room smelled like vomit all night. They also had protesters outside, Max couldn't remember for what but one through a "rock" through the window that when it burst glitter went everywhere. It landed on the mayor who demanded it was a threat on his life. Didn't help two event planners quit this years, Isobel was the third and took it over almost three months ago. 

So he understood. So he'll go and so will Michael. Alex will be there, and he knows for a fact that Alex was his weakness. One look into those eyes and Michael fell just like he did when Liz gave him that half smile. Isobel had been through hell this last year. It didn't help the person who gave her this wanted her to fail. Isobel tossed out every plan and began from the start. But he knew if anyone could do it, it was his sister. Their mother raised them to be strong, and she raised Isobel to be resilient and resourceful. Let what made her weak also be the thing that made her stronger. People wanted to see her break, they wanted to see the perfect Isobel Evans crumble so she was going to use that to her advantage. Isobel Evans was a lot of thing, but a failure was never one of them.


End file.
